Why are "outcomes" so important?
Outcomes are important because if each different research study measures a different outcome, we are not able to compare the results or findings from each study.
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For instance, imagine two studies looking at treatment of depression in teenagers:
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In Study A, the researchers measure the amount of school missed and decide that if a teenager attended more school, their depression is improving or getting better.
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But in Study B, the researchers measure the amount of energy teenagers have and decide that if a teenager had more energy, their depression is improving or getting better.
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When the two studies are finished, we can’t compare or combine the results because they have used different outcomes.
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When studies have different outcomes, it makes it difficult to compare treatments and decide if one treatment is better than another.
The IN-ROADS Initiative will give researchers a list of outcomes that can be a part of all studies on adolescent depression.
Here is a short video if you’d like to learn more about why patients and caregivers should be involved in core outcome set development.
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